Family
The Eighty-Fifth chapter of the Elfen Lied manga series. At over 90 pages, it is by far the longest chapter in the entire series. The mentally deranged Kurama, believing the clone Cynthia to be the resurrected Mariko, grabs her from the Agent and holds her tenderly. Cynthia recognizes her genetic father, and the two embrace happily and tearfully as she finally dies from being split in half by Lucy. He begins to howl in rage and frustration at losing Mariko once more, and is taunted by the wounded Lucy, as both think back to how they first met. At a time five years after the murder of Kouta's family but just over three years prior to the start of the series, a young and confused Kaede is shown using her vectors to cause a woman to fatally suffer heart failure, in the essence of doing whatever her inner voice instructs her to. She wonders if this path will give her the place to live promised by it. At the Diclonius Research Institute, Kakuzawa tells Kurama of the statistically unbelievable spike in heart failure among residents of Kamakura dwelling within a certain radius. He indicates that a Diclonius of vastly greater intelligence and cunning than most, who wildly manifest their powers around three years of age. Theorizing that it's based on the slaughter at the festival five years ago and the skill the Diclonii are using to hide out, they go on the move, concluding that this one may be the source of contagion, the original Diclonii. Remembering the horror and anger she last saw on Kouta's face as she rocks on a swingset, Kaede sees three giggling teenage girls passing by, knowing that whether they are laughing at her or don't notice her, she has no place at all among humans. After being accidentally hit by a soccer ball (foot ball), she prepares to go on another rampage, only to be stopped by an offer of help from a young girl named Aiko Takada, who helps cover her bleeding nose and takes her back to her apartment. An always-vigilant Kaede tries to leave after the girl has tended her wound, but she stops her, and says she wants to know her. Kaede feels that this is impossible. Aiko asks her to model for her drawings, and then reveals she has already sketched her in the park where she sits each day. As a stunned Kaede implants it in her mind, Mr. Takada returns, infuriated at her drawings, and starts to beat her while chiding her to become a prostitute for household money. Kaede warns, but does not kill him and instead slams him into the ceiling, not realizing that she has dislodged something Aiko was hiding from him. She takes Aiko away as his girlfriend mocks him as well. In the park, Aiko reveals how she cannot stand up to her father, and how she cannot let go of the feelings she has for her mother, who abandoned them both to become a famous artist and is currently visiting the city once more. Remembering the chance she lost with Kouta, Kaede urges her that, whatever her feelings for her mother, they must be resolved face to face, and she agrees to fetch a special painting that she made for her mother. At first parting ways until the next day, Kaede gets a grim premonition and follows her home. In the meantime, Mrs. Takada wonders whether or not she can face her daughter after all this time. Arriving back at the apartment, she finds that the worst has happened, and Aiko has accidentally killed her abusive father, who tried to stab the painting that she made for her mother with a knife, which was dislodged by her shove. Despairing of ever seeing her mother again, Aiko is convinced by Kaede to not go to the police until she reunites with her mother, but her offer to take the blame is rejected due to the evidence pointing to Aiko. Their plans are ruined by the return of the father's girlfriend, who loudly accuses the pair of murdering him. Kaede forcefully convinces her to go with her to meet her mother right then, promising that it will happen. Kurama and Kakuzawa patrol the city, waiting for word of Kaede being sighted, and placing her as the murderer of four children in an orphanage, with an old photo of her, confirming her identity as a Diclonius. Word then comes of the murder of Mr. Takada and of a girl matching the description of Kaede. At the mall where Aiko's mother is to have her exhibition, the pair break in and make their way inside, not realizing that they've tripped the silent alarms. They vow to wait, but Aiko is drawn to a painting her mother made, one of her as a baby being cradled by her mother, overjoying her to no end. As the two wait, Kaede explains away the things she does as a magician's tricks, and she convinces a doubting Aiko by making the toys in the store all dance. Aiko bear-hugs her and makes plans for activities the two will do together. Kurama and Kakuzawa turn on powerful lights, trying to confirm if one or both girls are Diclonii. Kaede throws objects, displays and finally the floor itself at the attacking soldiers. In the chaos, Kurama manages to come about at the children from the rear and shoots at her, but hitting Aiko, who jumped in the way to protect her friend. As her rage tears holes in the mall, Aiko's mother watches in the distance on the street with the other evacuees, never knowing how close she came to seeing her daughter once again. As the attack force regroups, Kaede vows to keep her friend alive. Confronted by a cold-hearted Kurama who regards Aiko as just another killer, she agrees to surrender in exchange for getting her friend medical help that ultimately fails to save her. His words continue to be harsh as she is taken into custody, and again later, when she is secured at the island facility, when he blames her death on them not immediately surrendering and on the refusal of the Diclonii to co-exist with humans. For his cold words and most of all for his failure to keep his word and save Aiko, she vows to kill everyone he cares for while leaving him alive to suffer the same loss over and over. In the present, still in agony over losing her horn, Lucy screams anew at Kurama, asking how it feels to lose someone, at which Kurama finally runs off with Cynthia's remains. The Agent shoots off Lucy's other horn, then calls for pickup, exasperated at a very long day and a complicated mission. At the nearby hospital, Kouta is still unconscious but his condition is not as serious as was feared. Yuka's mother offers her home to stay in, but is upset with the situation, both the condition of Maple House and the injuries, and questions why Nyu was allowed to ever stay there, which Yuka defends half-heartedly in the face of all that has happened. Mayu reports on Nozomi, who can still barely speak due to her throat injury. The doctors are unsure at that time exactly how and when to treat her, which Yuka calls for a cruel thing to happen just as Nozomi passed her exams. Mayu observes Nana dressed in odd clothing and keeping to herself while explaining that her wounds heal quicker than the others because she is different. Nana leaves to go to the toilet, and unable to find it, overhears an argument between Yuka and her mother, who worries that Nana could become a murderer just as Nyu did, without warning. In the toilet, Nana again fears there will never be a place for her, but resolves to be strong. Putting on a happy enthusiastic face once back with the others, offering to help in any way she can. Not wishing to leave the side of her injured friends, especially Nozomi, Mayu asks Nana to deliver onigiri to the homeless man living on the beach she has been attending to. With an enthusiastic front that concerns the others, Nana agrees to do it, hiding her tears as she goes. Elsewhere in the hospital, Nousou and Barbara both survived the helicopter falling on them, while Nousou mourns the loss of Alicia and Cynthia, and wondering openly about their controls, as well as being mocked gently by the Agent, who pulled them both from the flaming wreckage. A homesick Lucy/Nyu is revealed to have been brought back to the underground grotto and held nude and bound by Chief Kakuzawa, who brags that the hour for the Lebensborn Project to begin is finally at hand, with Lucy bearing the children of the new race. At the Kamakura beachfront, Nana is shocked to find that the homeless man Mayu has been attending to is in fact her 'papa', Kurama, who is still cradling Cynthia's upper torso and calling it Mariko. He violently rejects her aid and presence, harshly dismissing her as having been nothing but a test subject. Anime episode(s) based on this chapter : Episode OVA/10.5/14 The Ending of Story Arc 13 : The Battle Of Maple House Category:Series Information